Lateral container grabber having carrying pins at the lower corners of the container

ABSTRACT

A lateral container grabber is carried by a lifting carriage of a carrier and is adapted to engage a container having apertures at its corners. The grabber has upper guiding pins and lower supporting pins. The guiding pins engage upper corner pieces of the container. Each of the supporting pins is connected with a swingable lever and has a tapering end to facilitate its entry into an aperture of the container. The supporting pins are also connected with locking cylinders.

United States Patent [191 Peltonen [4 June 18, 1974 LATERAL CONTAINERGRABBER HAVING CARRYING PINS AT THE LOWER CORNERS OF THE CONTAINER [75]Inventor: Lalrja Arvid Peltonen, Tarnpere,

Finland [73] Assignee: Valmet Oy, Helsinki, Finland [22] Filed: May 24,1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 256,591

[52] US. Cl 214/621, 214/381, 214/731, 294/67 BB, 294/67 D, 214/654 [51]Int. Cl B661 9/18 [58] Field of Search 214/620, 621, 730, 731, 214/372,377, 378, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384,

652, 653, 654; 294/67 R, 67 B, 67 BB, 67 D [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,342,361 9/1967 Melin 214/730 3,387,729 6/1968 Hindin eta1 214/621 3,387,730 6/1968 Levitt 214/621 3,514,002 5/1970 Allegri eta1. 214/621 Primary ExaminerRobert .1. Spar Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Richards & Geier: V. x ndc s ler,

[5 7] ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJuu 18 m4 SHEET 1 [IF2 LATERAL CONTAINER GRABBER HAVING CARRYING PINS AT THE LOWER CORNERS OFTHE CONTAINER The present invention concerns a lateral container grabberwith securing means, wherein container supporting pins turnable by meansof a locking cylinder or equivalent engage with two comer pieces on thelower corners of one long vertical side of the container and wherein thecontainer is supported by the upper corner pieces of its long sideagainst turning by the aid of guiding pins, and which lateral grabber isintended for use, above all, in connection with the lifting carriage ofa carrier.

When using lateral grabbers of the kind described above, it is mostappropriate first to insert the guiding pins in the apertures of theupper corner pieces of the long side of the container from above,whereby at the same time the supporting pins will be positioned closelyadjacent to the apertures of the lower corner pieces of the container.Since deformations of the container cause changes in the spacing of thecorner pieces, difficulties are encountered in making immovably mountedsupporting pins enter the apertures of the corner pieces, especiallysince the mutual fit of the apertures and the turnable supporting pinsis fairly close in order to provide reliable locking.

The aim of the invention is to provide a lateral container grabber ofsimple design which is more rapidly and easily attachable to thecontainer than equivalent devices of prior art and by means of which thedrawbacks pointed out above are avoided. The scope of the presentinvention further comprises means by the aid of which the lateralgrabber is simply adaptable to different container heights, as well asmeans for locking the supporting pins within the corner pieces. Theinvention is mainly characterized in that the supporting pins have beenmounted in connection with the lower part of the frame structure of thelateral grabber by mediation of levers which are turnable in thedirection of the plane defined by the frame structure, about a pivotpin, so that the supporting pins by virtue of a tapering guiding surfaceprovided on their ends find their way into the apertures of thecontainer corner pieces when the lateral grabber is being attached to acontainer.

The invention is clarified in detail with reference to the embodimentexample presented in the figures of the attached drawing.

FIG. 1 shows in elevational view a carrier with lifting attachment, inconnection with which a lateral container grabber according to theinvention has been employed.

FIG. 2 shows the same as FIG. 1, as seen from above.

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the lateral grabber according to the invention,as seen from the front of the carrier, and FIG. 4 shows the same, asseen from the side of the carrier.

The lateral container grabber 5 consists of a frame structure, which hasbeen affixed to the lifting carriage 3 of the lifting attachment 2 of acarrier 1. The design of the lifting carriage has been disclosed ingreater detail. for instance, in our pending U.S. Pat. application Ser.No. 256,593.

On the lower part of the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5 therehave been mounted, by mediation of a lever 7, supporting pins 8previously known in themselves, which for the purpose of locking have across section which is substantially e.g. oval, and the ends of whichhave been provided with a tapering, most appropriately conical, guidingsurface. After the supporting pin 8 has been introduced into the cornerpiece of the container 4, the supporting pin 8 is turned about its axis,whereby it is locked in the corner piece in a manner previously known initself.

In both upper corners of the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5guiding pins 6 have been placed, which when the container 4 is beingattached are first inserted from above into the apertures of the cornerpieces on the upper comers of the container 4, whereupon attachment ofthe supporting pins 8 takes place. The guiding pins 6 are advantageouslymounted on a slide which is movable in the vertical plane with referenceto the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5. This displacement isaccomplished by the aid of double action power cylinders 9, whosepistons have two definite extreme positions, corresponding to twodifferent container heights. By this means the lateral grabber 5 can besimply adapted to two different container heights, for instance, to fit8 ft. and 8.5 ft. containers.

According to the invention, both supporting pins 8 have been attached tothe lower part of the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5 bymediation of a lever 7, which is turnable in the direction of the planedefined by the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5 about a pivotpin 10 in a given angular sector. The lever 7 is freely suspended fromthe pivot pin 10, whereby when the lateral grabber 5 is being attachedto a container 4 the lever 7 automatically finds, under effect of theguiding surface on the supporting pin 8, a position such that thesupporting pin 8 may easily enter the aperture of the corner piece ofthe container 4. In this manner the effect, with reference to themounting of the supporting pins 8, of changes in the spacing of thecorner pieces of the container 4 is simply eliminated.

While the supporting pins 8 are being pushed into the corner pieces, thevertical edge of the container simultaneously presses against lockingpins 12 placed immediately adjacent to the supporting pins 8, and whenthe supporting pin 8 is in its proper supporting position within thecorner piece (FIG. 1 the locking pin 12 delivers an actuating pulse tothe locking cylinder 11, which turns the supporting pin 8 about aboutits axis, and locking of the supporting pin takes place. The locking ofeach supporting pin 8 may thus take place at different times in theevent that the frame structure of the lateral grabber S is pushedtowards the container 4 in a somewhat oblique position.

When, after lifting and transporting, it is desired to detach thecontainer 4 from the lateral grabber 5, the driver of the carrier 1delivers an actuating pulse to the locking cylinders 11, which then turnthe supporting pins 8 into the open position, whereupon the supportingpins 8 can be disengaged from the corner pieces of the container 4.

I claim:

l. A grabber carried by a lifting carriage of a vehicle carrier andadapted to laterally engage a container, said grabber comprising aframe, guiding pins, means supporting said guiding pins upon an upperportion of said frame, said guiding pins being adapted to engage uppercorners of the container and to prevent any turning thereof, leverspivotally mounted about pivot axes upper edge of said frame and carryingsaid guiding pins, and double action power cylinders connected with saidslide for moving the slide in a vertical plane.

3. A grabber according to claim 2, wherein the second-mentioned meanscomprise locking cylinders connected with said supporting pins andlocking pins carried by said levers and adapted to deliver an actuatingpulse to said locking cylinders to turn the supporting pins into theirclosed positions.

, UNITEDHSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 a817 Dated June 18 1974 Inventor(s) v LahJ a Arvld Ilen identified patentIt is certified that error appears in the aboveshown below:

and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as On the cover sheetinsert:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Finland May 25, 1971 Ser. No.1437/71 Signed and sealed this 29th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

- McCOY M. GIBSON JR. i c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer i ICommissioner of Patents PC4050 USCOMM-DC 60376-1 69 I U.5 GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE:

1. A grabber carried by a lifting carriage of a vehicle carrier andadapted to laterally engage a container, said grabber comprising aframe, guiding pins, means supporting said guiding pins upon an upperportion of said frame, said guiding pins being adapted to engage uppercorners of the container and to prevent any turning thereof, leverspivotally mounted about pivot axes upon a lower portion of said framefor pivoting movement in a plane parallel to said frame structure, aseparate supporting pin carried by each lever, each of said supportingpins having a tapered end adapted to engage an apErture in the lowercorners of the container when the grabber is being attached to acontainer, and locking means connected with said supporting pins forturning same.
 2. A grabber according to claim 1, wherein thefirst-mentioned means comprise a slide located upon an upper edge ofsaid frame and carrying said guiding pins, and double action powercylinders connected with said slide for moving the slide in a verticalplane.
 3. A grabber according to claim 2, wherein the second-mentionedmeans comprise locking cylinders connected with said supporting pins andlocking pins carried by said levers and adapted to deliver an actuatingpulse to said locking cylinders to turn the supporting pins into theirclosed positions.